Pruner.



Q/vibwoou V W I T. J. LITZELMAN.

PRUNER. I

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908;

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THADDEUS J. LITZELMAN, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

PRUNER.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed April 16, 1908. Serial No. 427,490.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THADDEUS J. LITZEL- MAN, of Williamsport, in thecounty of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Pruners, which improvement is fully set forth inthe following specification and shown in the accom anying drawings.

This invention re ates to certain new and useful improvements in prunersof that class designed for heavier work, such as pruning trees, and ithas for its objects among others to provide an improved construction ofpruner in which the movable blade is designed to be operated by a cordor the like, a stiff spring being provided for automatically returningthe movable blade to its normal osition, and novel means being em loyedor adjusting this spring according to t e circumstances under which itis to be employed. The cutting blades are of tempered steel while theextended parts to which said blades are attached may be of iron. Theblades are set into or partially embedded in their holders so there canbe no lateral motion of the blades, the blades being further held toplace by means of rivets passed through the lades and holders. Theholder of the movable blade is provided with a lateral rojectionadjacent the edge of the cutter, w ich is adapted to engage the adjacentedge of the other cutter to form a stop so that the spring can open theblades to a predetermined point; neither can the movable blade be movedbeyond a fixed point determined by the opposite end of said projection.The parts are readily assembled or disassembled, the blades areinterchangeable and are so constructed and ground as to give a shear cutin both directions, both outward and inward.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings which,with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisinvention and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a prunerembodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same,that is, looking at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on theline 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is adetail of one of the blades and its holder. Fig. 5 is a detail of theother blade and its holder. Fig. 6 is a detail of the pivot boltremoved.

Referring to the drawin s 1 designates a holder or barrel tapered as sown best in Fig. 1 and designed to receive a pole 2 which may be ofgreater or less length and by means of which the operator is enabled toreach limbs more or less elevated. This barrel or holder is shown asprovided upon one side of its extended part 3 with a boss or raisedportion 4 adapted to be engaged by the retaining nut soon to bedescribed, and u on its opposite face it is formed with 2. ha ved out orcutaway portion 5 forming a shoulder 6, and with a curved cavity 7 inwhich is received a correspondingly sha ed portion 8 of the fixedcutting blade 9, the body portion 10 of which rests upon the halved outportion of the part 3, the shoulder 11 of said cutting blade engagingthe shoulder 6 of the portion 3., The blade is retained in position bymeans of rivets or the like 12 which pass through the portion 3 andthrough the portions 8 and 10 of the blade, thus firmly securing thelatter in position and preventing lateral movement of the blade in itsholder.

13 is the movable blade. It is provided withan extension 14 preferablyrounded, as seen best in Fig. 5 and adapted to seat in a correspondinglyshaped recess 15 in the arm 16 which latter is curved, as shown at 17,and provided at its free end with an eye or openmg 18 designed for theattachment of a cord or the like 19 by which said arm 16 and the movableknife 13 may be actuated. This blade 13 is secured to its arm by meansof a suitable rivet or the like 20, and additional rivets 20 as seen inFig. 5, and the arm is halved out at 21 as shown best in Fig. 2, and isprovided with a laterally projecting part 22, as seen clearly in Fig. 2one side of which is adapted to engage the blade 9 upon its back edge tolimit the movement of the arm 16 in the one direction under theinfluence of the spring, and the shoulder 23 thus formed is designed toengage the blade 9 in the opposite direction of movement of the arm 16under the force ap lied to the chord, and thus revent the movable bladefrom moving too ar over the fixed blade.

The blades are connected in the following manner. 24 is a bolt passedthrough a circular opening in the movable blade and its arm, and througha polygonal opening in the fixed blade and its holder, the bolt having acircular portion 39 received in the movable blade and a polygonalportion 40 received in the polygonal opening of the fixed blade. Beyondthe polygonal portion is a screw threaded portion 41 adapted to receivea nut 26 which is screwed up thereon and against the boss 4 of theholder extension 3, as seen clearly in Fig. 2. Upon the opposite side ofthe device the bolt is formed with an enlarged portion 27 that part ofwhich adjacent the movable blade being cone shaped, as at 28, and theouter end of this bolt is provided with a plurality of radial openingsor slots 29 into any one of Which is designed to be engaged the inwardlyextending end or arm 30 of a stiff spring 31 which is coiled about theenlarged portion 27 of the bolt, as seen clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, theother end of said spring being extended substantially parallel with theadjacent portion of the arm 16, the free end thereof being bent atsubstantially right angles, as seen at 32, and engaged in an opening 33in said arm. The extreme outer end of this bolt is screw-threaded andreceives a nut 34, in this instance shown as provided with studs orprojections 35 for receiving a Wrench or spanner for tightening orloosening the said nut. This nut screws up against the bent end 30 ofthe spring and serves to keep the same in its slot in the end of thebolt and at the same time covers and protects the slots in the end ofthe bolt. By changing the inwardly extended arm 30 of the spring fromone slot to the other, the necessary adjustment and regulation of thetension of said spring is accomplished.

The blades are ground so as to form the upwardly extended recess 36 inthe fixed blade, and the cutting edges are so disposed that when theyare brought so that they are just tangent to each other they meetprimarily at a point about one inch from the two points of the blades,leaving quite a considerable open space upon each side of the tangentpoint or where they primarily meet, as shown at 37 and 38 in Fig. 1.This form gives to the two cutting edges a shear cut in two directions,outward and inward, the two cutting edges being convexed in oppositedirections.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a pruner, a fixed blade, a movableblade, means for connecting the same and a spring connected with thecarrier of the movable blade and adjustably connected with saidconnecting means.

2. In a pruner, fixed and movable blades, means connecting the samehaving a plurality of radial slots at one end, and a spring sleeved uponsaid connecting means with one end attached to the carrier ofthe-movable blade and its other end engageable in one of said slots.

3. In a pruner, fixed and movable blades, means connecting the samehaving a plurality of radial slots at one end, a spring sleeved uponsaid connecting means with one end attached to the carrier of themovable blade and its other end engageable in one of said slots, and anut on the end of said connecting means covering said slots and the endof the sprmg.

4. In a pruner, a fixed blade and its holder with a polygonal openingtherethrough, a movable blade and its carrier with a cylindrical openingtherethrough, a bolt passed through said openings and havingcorrespondingly shaped portions, nuts upon the opposite ends of saidbolt, one end of said bolt being enlarged, and a spring coiled aboutsaid enlarged portion with one end afiixed to the end of the bolt andthe other to the carrier of the movable blade.

5. In a pruner, a fixed blade and its holder with a polygonal openingtherethrough, a

movable blade and its carrier with a cylindrical opening therethrough, abolt passed through said openings and having correspondingly shapedportions, nuts upon the opposite ends of said bolt, one end of said boltbeing enlarged, and a spring coiled about said enlarged portion with oneend adjustably connected with the end of the bolt and covered by theadjacent nut and the other to the carrier of the movable blade.

6, In a pruner, a holder for a blade having a halved out portion and acontiguous recess, and a cutting blade supported on said cut awayportion and having an extension conforming to and seated in said recess,and means securing said blade and holder together and preventing lateralmovements of the blade.

7. In a pruner, a holder for a blade having a halved out portion and acontiguous recess, and a cutting blade supported on said cut awayportion and having an extension conforming to and seated in said recess,and means securing said blade and holder together and preventing lateralmovements of the blade, said holder and blade having engaging shoulders.

8. In a pruner, a holder for a blade having a halved out portion and acontiguous recess, anda cutting blade supported on said cut away portionand having an extension conforming to and seated in said recess, andmeans securing said blade and holder together and preventing lateralmovements of the blade, said holder having a laterally projecting partforming a stop. I

9. In a pruner, a fixed blade and amovable blade and means pivotallyconnecting them, said blades having their cutting edges convexed inopposite directions and ground to leave an open space upon each side ofthe tangential point Where the cutting edges my hand this 14 day ofApril, 1908, in the primarily meet, combined with means for presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses. operating the movable blade, and a springacting in opposition to such operating means LITZELMAN' 5 and having oneend adjustabl connected I Witnesses:

with the means connecting the b ades. HENRY E. PAGE,

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set FREDERIG C. ERDMAN.

